Bleeding heart liberals

: Hi! Can you please tell me what this means and how the phrase originated? Thanx, Sax

BLEEDING HEART -- "an ultraconservative view of ultrliberals, as those whose 'hearts bleed' for the poor, who are 'suckers' for every 'sob story,' and who place tax burdens on all in a mistaken effort to cure social ills...The expression was introduced into political usage in the thirties by columnist Westbrook Pegler. Its origin may be the Order of the Bleeding Heart, a semireligious order of the Middle Ages honoring the Virgin Mary, whose 'heart was pierced with many sorrows.'..." Another passage said Mr. Pegler's most frequent "target" was first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. From "Safire's New Political Dictionary" by William Safire (Random House, New York, 1993).